THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



157 



cents and this is a reduction that we are not wihing to stand. 

 IMoney orders or stamps nsuaUy reach us safely and any bank 

 win seh a draft on Xew York or Chicago which is absolutely 

 safe. Checks on the banks of large cities except those of the 

 far west are also acceptable, but a check for To cents on a 

 bank in an opening in the tall timber causes us to lose interest 

 in existence. 



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Xo matter how hard the scientist tries to disseminate ac- 

 curate information, he finds some irresponsible just ahead of 

 him with a story of plants or animals so wonderful that a 

 public, educated via the moving picture route, much prefers it 

 to any sober statement of fact. It is easy for the reporter on 

 the hunt for a "human interest" story to contort the facts until 

 they have little semblance to the truth in his eft'orts to enter- 

 tain the public. The advertiser of a set of natural history books 

 that are at present being introduced to the public asks in one 

 of his circulars, "Do you know that the dew plant kills and eats 

 every fly that alights on its petals by ensnaring with a sticky 

 substance?" Wq confess that this is news to us. \A'e have seen 

 the sun-dew but neA'cr one that caught flies with its petals. In 

 another place this same individual informs tis that his books 

 will tell us why an ant's head mav often be seen walking by 

 itself without a body. Since the ant's legs are attached to its 

 thorax and not to its head we hope we may never encounter 

 this remarkable sight. We know of several people who would 

 never seek for the explanation of such a phenomenon in a 

 book. It Avould be the Keeley Ctire for theirs. Much as we 

 value knowledge, we incline to agree with Josh Billings that 

 "It is a good deal better to know less, than to know so much 

 that ain't so." 



